Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack: Journalists Lee Blair

Showing posts with label Journalists Lee Blair. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Blair Lee: Who won, the House or the Senate? How do you pick a winner when there's no final score yet?

Friday, April 20, 2012 Labels: Md Gen Assembly 2012 430, MD Gen Assembly Opera, MD Issues Taxes, People O'Malley-Martin, Politics Democrats Taxes

http://www.gazette.net/article/20120420/OPINION/704209696/-1/blair-lee-who-won-the-house-or-the-senate-how-do-you-pick-a-winner&template=gazette

How do you recap a baseball game that's still in extra innings? How do you pick winners and losers when there's no final score yet?

Right now, the House and Senate teams are tied at the top of the 10th with House Speaker Mike Busch pitching to Senate President Mike Miller who's behind, 0 and 2, with two outs and nobody on. Gov. Martin O'Malley is doing TV interviews in the press box where, asked which team he's backing, replies, “Who's playing?”

In this high-profile, high-stakes showdown the smart money says Miller blinks first. Not because he can't take the heat (which has reached the boiling point), but because the only thing more precious to Mike Miller than gambling legislation is protecting his position as president of the Senate.

The heat on Miller has grown merciless: the media, labor unions, the state employees, Busch, O'Malley, Comptroller Peter Franchot, etc., all blame Miller for triggering the so-called doomsday spending cuts by holding an income tax bill hostage until he gets his gambling bill (a new P.G. County gaming casino and table games for all six gambling venues).

Miller loves playing hardball; he started in the State House as a page back in 1966. So attacking Miller is a waste of time. But attacking his senators is how to make Mike Miller fold… http://www.gazette.net/article/20120420/OPINION/704209696/-1/blair-lee-who-won-the-house-or-the-senate-how-do-you-pick-a-winner&template=gazette

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Gazette - Danielle E. Gaines: With two special sessions possible, groups want their bills considered http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2012/05/gazettenet-with-two-special-sessions.html

Labels: Md Gen Assembly 2012 430, MD Gen Assembly Opera, MD Issues Taxes, People O'Malley-Martin, Politics Democrats Taxes

Leaders want second gathering to focus on gaming

by Danielle E. Gaines, Staff Writer Friday, April 27, 2012

http://www.gazette.net/article/20120427/NEWS/704279642/1122/blizzard-of-beats/With-two-special-sessions-possible-groups-want-their-bills-considered&template=gazette

As the clock struck midnight on Sine Die, many Annapolis insiders were struck by the number of significant bills, most notably the budget, that failed to pass both chambers.

With Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) indicating this week that he could call two special sessions — one in May to pass a revenue bill to accompany the budget and one later in the summer to consider an expansion of gaming in the state -— the door has been opened to lobbyists, interest groups and lawmakers looking to reintroduce old measures or new legislation altogether… http://www.gazette.net/article/20120427/NEWS/704279642/1122/blizzard-of-beats/With-two-special-sessions-possible-groups-want-their-bills-considered&template=gazette

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

Maryland Senate Republican Slate: Rascovar & Lee

Rascovar & Lee

Dear Kevin,

Two astute observers of the Annapolis scene are Barry Rascovar and Blair Lee. They provide an "insider's baseball" perspective of the State House through their weekly columns in the Gazette newspapers.

The Gazette of Politics and Business is a Friday edition that is also available online (click here). This edition contains perceptive articles by the Gazette's team of State House reporters as well as the opinion columns of Rascovar and Lee.

This week's edition is especially insightful. Rascovar questions why legislators are not listening to their own fiscal advisors. The Board of Revenue Estimates last week predicted a slower-than-expected economic recovery, but the Democrat leadership continues to increase the budget as if full recovery will happen in the next quarter:

"Why aren't O'Malley and lawmakers paying attention? Based on the revenue board's bleak analysis, they should be reining in Maryland's out-of-control spending and preparing for a slower than expected recovery. Instead, delegates and the governor are pandering to the usual special interests. The revenue board's cautions preceded the alarming events in Japan, the world's third-largest economy. That nation's triple devastation will ripple economically through Maryland and the country. It also is now clear that Maryland's strong job growth over the past year - loudly touted by O'Malley - was a mirage. . . This is not a time to crank out another budget that protects vested interests and avoids the tough decisions. Yet once again, it looks like that proverbial can is about to get kicked down the road." (To read the full opinion column, click here)

Lee offers an analysis of the unusual alliance that formed to defeat the assumed passage of the gay marriage bill in the House of Delegates. He highlights the role of the African-American churches in persuading legislators to stand fast against the bill:

"Insiders say that P.G. County's black churches turned seven delegates against the same-sex bill, enough to kill it. Many blacks also take offense to the gay lobby's pitch that homosexual marriage and biracial marriage are similar civil rights issues. Biracial marriage is much different from same-sex marriage, say blacks; no religion teaches that biracial marriage is a sin against God. This clash between the gay lobby and black churches is a white liberal's nightmare. Don't the black churches understand that their job is to endorse Democratic candidates, not religion?" (To read the full opinion column, click here)

During the 90-day session, we recommend that you set your "flipboard" or "google reader" to the Gazette of Politics and Business to stay current on what is happening behind the scenes in Annapolis. You will not be disappointed!

Labels: Journalists Lee Blair,Journalists Rascovar-Barry, Maryland Senate GOP Slate
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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Why government matters by Blair Lee

Why government matters

Blair Lee, Gazette, Friday, Oct. 29, 2010, “Why governor matters” My Maryland | Blair Lee

http://www.gazette.net/stories/10292010/polilee184218_32540.php

An O'Malley campaign flier now arriving in people's mailboxes says, "Bob Ehrlich made $2.5 million working for one of

America

's largest lobbying firms." Aside from the fact that Ehrlich is not, and never has been, a lobbyist, what does his income have to do with this year's governor's race?

What's O'Malley's message? Vote for O'Malley because he made less money than Ehrlich? Vote for O'Malley because he doesn't work for a law firm (anymore)? Vote for O'Malley because he needs the money and Ehrlich doesn't?

O'Malley's personal attack ads cluttering our TV sets slam Ehrlich because his clients included banks, oil companies and casinos, and because Ehrlich, when governor, raised transportation and environmental fees.

When O'Malley was a criminal defense attorney his clients included sexual predators, thieves and drunken drivers. And, as governor, he engineered the biggest tax hike in Maryland history. But, again, what has this got to do with the problems facing Maryland — recession, unemployment and the state's staggering fiscal crisis?

Given the vehemence and volume of O'Malley's attack ads, it's difficult to tell whether he's running for governor or auditioning for the Jerry Springer show.

So maybe, this close to the election, we should remind ourselves why the Maryland governor's job is so important, particularly this year…http://www.gazette.net/stories/10292010/polilee184218_32540.php

20101029 Why government matters Blair Lee

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Monday, October 25, 2010

Gazette:The case for Ehrlich by Blair Lee

Friday, Oct. 22, 2010

The case for Ehrlich

My Maryland | Blair Lee

http://www.gazette.net/stories/10222010/polilee165421_32541.php

Maryland's governor's race is not about jobs (governors don't create jobs; healthy economies do).

Nor is it about slots, BGE rates, charter schools or the tuition freeze (a political hoax).

Nor is it about illegal immigration (O'Malley calls them "new Americans," Ehrlich calls them "illegals"), gay marriage (O'Malley is for, Ehrlich is against), the death penalty (O'Malley is against, Ehrlich is for) or tort reform (O'Malley is against, Ehrlich is for).

Nor is it about attack ads, phony ballots, sending a message to Obama or The Washington Post's daily hatchet job on Ehrlich (just compare this week's bios on O'Malley and Ehrlich. My God, how blatantly biased can a newspaper be?).

On a single day, every four years, we citizens get to touch the ship of state's steering wheel. We set the ship's future course by electing the captain and crew. On that single day we govern them; the rest of the time they govern us.

Our big chance is on Nov. 2, Election Day, when we irrevocably determine Maryland's fiscal fate by picking the people who will manage the state's budget crisis…http://www.gazette.net/stories/10222010/polilee165421_32541.php

20101022 BLee Gaz The case for Ehrlich

Gazette:The case for Ehrlich by Blair Lee

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Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Response from Ehrlich

October 23, 2010

In response to all the charges and counter-charges and revisionist history evident in this year’s Maryland gubernatorial contest, such as those suggested by a commenter on Blair Lee’s October 22, 2010 column, “A Case for Ehrlich,” I thought that perhaps voters may want to hear from Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich himself – May 27, 2010

Mr. Lee’s opinion piece may be found here: http://www.gazette.net/stories/10222010/polilee165421_32541.php

“For example, a commenter responded to Mr. Lee’s column: “Blair Lee's case for Bob Ehrlich is full of holes. Bob Ehrlich is not the fiscally responsible choice. Instead of telling us how he would close next year's $1.1 billion budget gap, Bob Ehrlich made campaign promises that would nearly double that gap, including a promise he can't keep to roll back the sales tax.

“And Bob Ehrlich's gubernatorial record contradicts everything Blair Lee says. In easier economic times:

“Bob Ehrlich proposed the largest annual spending increase in Maryland history

“Bob Ehrlich accepted federal bailout dollars with strings attached

“Bob Ehrlich transfered funds and floated bonds to cover budget deficits (see pg. 7)

“Bob Ehrlich raised taxes $3 billion, including a 57% property tax hike and sneaky income tax increases

- Steve Lebowitz, Annapolis”

Many of us cannot wait for this ugly election to be over. For those of us who were actually there or personally witnessed many of the events and decisions that are being characterized or mischaracterized out of context, we are in total disbelief that voters may be left with such inaccurate information as a result of negative campaigning, in order to make a decision on November 2, 2010 as to whom should lead the state of Maryland for the next four years.

Mr. Lee had written:

http://www.gazette.net/stories/10222010/polilee165421_32541.php

Friday, Oct. 22, 2010

The case for Ehrlich

My Maryland | Blair Lee

Maryland's governor's race is not about jobs (governors don't create jobs; healthy economies do).

Nor is it about slots, BGE rates, charter schools or the tuition freeze (a political hoax).

Our big chance is on Nov. 2, Election Day, when we irrevocably determine Maryland's fiscal fate by picking the people who will manage the state's budget crisis… http://www.gazette.net/stories/10222010/polilee165421_32541.php

20100527 Response from Ehrlich

20101022 BLee Gaz The case for Ehrlich

Ehrlich, voting, November2, 2010, Blair Lee, Gazette,

http://www.scribd.com/doc/39959652/The-Response-from-Ehrlich

The Response from Ehrlich

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